Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
pay a monthly fee for the water. Steve gets his water from a well near his barn and pays
only for the electricity needed to pump the water.
Figure 9.12 shows the water pipe and faucet outside of Donio's house. The water's
source, a spring in the mountains, is enclosed in a cement structure that protects the
water from contamination and from which the water pipes emanate. Because the
spring is higher than the house, water moves by gravity from the spring to the house
and no pumping is necessary. Doino or a member of his family must carry water,
usually in a plastic container, to the house where it is used for drinking, cooking,
and cleaning. Often it is the children's job to obtain water. Water costs P80 (80
pesos) per month, which is equivalent to about $1.52 USD/month.
‡
Donio does not
use water from the faucet to irrigate any plants. He relies entirely on rain to water
his plants.
In Ecuador the farm water also comes from a spring; see Figure 9.13. However, in
this case a pipe with a screen over its mouth is used to collect the water and move it
from the spring to a holding tank. If the screen comes loose, the water system can
become plugged with leaves and other debris. Water moves from the holding tank to
the house via gravity; no pump is needed, and the water is piped directly to an
outside washing facility, into the kitchen, the bathroom, and then to the garden near
the house where it is used for drip irrigation. Water costs A´da and Octavio $1.50
USD/month (Ecuador uses U.S. dollars as it currency).
Of our three farms A´da and Octavio are the only ones that irrigate. Water, from
the same source used for the house is piped to the garden area, filtered, and then fed
to commercial drip irrigation pipes that are placed either on top or on the side of the
raised beds used for crop production; see Figure 9.14.
Figure
9.12. Pipe and faucet, about 1 m above the ground, that serves as the water source for
Donio's house. (Courtesy of Henry Goltiano.)
‡
P is Philippine peso; USD is U.S. dollar.
